Black dress- Misook or Travelsmith?

[Hoyaheel]

I want a new black dress for work and travel (business & pleasure) I know that both of these dresses will work for me - I just got the Misook dress in another color (great deal at Nordstrom Rack!) but it's my first piece and I don't know how well they last. I have also had Travelsmith's indispensable travel dress before and love them. But I know the fabric will pull & start to thin at the shoulders after a few years. But the Misook dress is twice the price of the Travelsmith dress- even on sale. Both machine/hand washable - which is a huge bonus - I hate to travel with dry clean only. Anyone with Misook experience to tell me how long they last? Thanks!

 

Misook, $179 on sale: http://www.misook.com/dresses/sleeveless-sheath/

 

Travelsmith indispensable dress, $89: http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?itemID=16105&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C250%2C282%2C2321&iProductID=16105&sortBy=0

[leagle]

My favourite black dress for just about everything is this Travelsmith one.

http://www.travelsmith.com/jump.jsp?itemID=9949&itemType=PRODUCT&path=1%2C2%2C250%2C282%2C2166&iProductID=9949&sortBy=0

I am 5'7" and bought the medium petite which comes about 4 inches below my knees. I loved my black one so much I have bought the navy (which is a rich dark blue) and the aubergine.

It is a lighter material than the indespensible travel dress, but it moves beautifully. The dress I bought 3 years ago has held up pretty well.

[Hoyaheel]

Thanks - pretty dress. I want a knee length dress this time, though....

[ducklite]

I don't care for the Travelsmith dress at all.

[sail7seas]

I have several Misook dresses and really enjoy them. They have worn and dry cleaned very well for me. I haven't washed my dresses but prefer to have them cleaned.

 

 

[Hoyaheel]

dry cleaned very well for me. I haven't washed my dresses but prefer to have them cleaned.

 

Really? The tag specifically says "DO NOT DRY CLEAN". Which to be honest I found unusual as I'm usually hand washing things that are dry clean only:rolleyes:

 

How many years have you owned one that's held up well? Looking to compare specifically with my indispensable dress - that was great for 3 years, now in yr 4 I can see the thinning of the fabric. I would still buy that again - I'm sure the cost per wear was quite low because I love it and I wear it often:p But I also love the fit & look of the Misook dress. And I don't think I need two new dresses :eek:....

[Hoyaheel]

I don't care for the Travelsmith dress at all.

You don't like the look of it or you have owned the dress and didn't like the fabric etc? Because I a)like the dress for me and b) have owned that fabric dress and like it:D

[klauer]

I didn't write the previous comment on the Travelsmith dress, but I don't think that it is very flattering on the model -- too big, too long, and the v-neck is really high. If it were shorter and more fitted I think I'd like it better.

[Hoyaheel]

I didn't write the previous comment on the Travelsmith dress, but I don't think that it is very flattering on the model -- too big, too long, and the v-neck is really high. If it were shorter and more fitted I think I'd like it better.

 

I have a large chest. Low vees are inappropriate for me to wear in a work environment - ones that look great on a A or B chest look pornographic on my DDDs. Which is one of the reasons I like the dress.

[ducklite]

You don't like the look of it or you have owned the dress and didn't like the fabric etc? Because I a)like the dress for me and b) have owned that fabric dress and like it:D

 

I don't care for the look of it. It looks like a very generic Travelsmith type dress.

[klauer]

I didn't mean a cleavage-baring neckline, I was just thinking more than a v-neck tee shirt would show. The Misook dress is very form-fitting, so I think it is a lot different than the Travelsmith one -- not really interchangeable.

[cruisemom42]

I do not have a Misook dress but have had several of their twinsets or sweater/jacket pieces.

 

They do catch and pull over time but you can deal with most of these pretty easily by just (carefully) snipping the pull and pulling on the fabric a bit.

 

I strongly recommend folding rather than hanging any Misook knits. They can stretch out and on a hanger they can get some weird bumps and lumps that are hard to get rid of.

 

I wear Misook for work and some work-related travel. It isn't my favorite material for travel, though, because it is pretty heavy. I haven't had the Travelsmith dress so I can't compare them, but I have never taken any of my Misook pieces on a cruise or overseas.

[Betsy's Mom]

I was specifically told by Misook rep not to dry clean their products. It will shorten their life. They wear very, very well and are my choice for travel.A step up from the Travelsmith product IMO. Enjoy whichever:)

B.

[ducklite]

I'd also suggest looking at Eileen Fisher. She does a lot of linen and stretch silk jersey knits that generally don't wrinkle. if they do, hang it up overnight or in a steamy bathroom and it's fixed. Machine wash delicate or hand wash and line dry. I have Eileen Fisher silk knit tops and dresses that I've owned for three, five, and even eight years and they're still going strong. They are a bit more expensive then some of the others, but they last forever so the ROI is there.

[Hoyaheel]

Thanks for the feedback on the longevity of the Misook. That's the direction I was leaning so I'll probably go that way. I'd REALLY love more St. John, but the Misook fits in the budget better right now, and weighs less than St. John anyway so it's better for travel;)

 

And if another color of the Travelsmith dress goes on sale, perhaps I'll revisit it at a later date :-) I wear mostly dresses for work from April - October so I'm sure I'd get use from it.....

[alidor]

Second Eileen Fisher clothes - they fit great and they do last forever. I find Misook attractive but heavy for travelling.

[esther e]

Another Eileen Fisher fan. Every dress that is hanging in there is EF and I love them. Most are linen and I send them all out for pressing when we get on the ship.

[Hoyaheel]

I didn't find anything Eileen Fisher that seems appropriate for what I'm looking for. Certainly not linen for business travel to developing countries:p And the silk jersey knits too sexy a cut for work.

[ducklite]

I didn't find anything Eileen Fisher that seems appropriate for what I'm looking for. Certainly not linen for business travel to developing countries:p And the silk jersey knits too sexy a cut for work.

 

They really aren't at all clingy or low cut. The stretch silk jersey cap sleeve is a favorite of mine, drapes beautifully without any cling, and is not at all low cut. I hand wash at night and wear it the next morning. I have several in different colors, totally a staple of my wardrobe whether I'm in a business suit or jeans.

 

The linen knits wash and hang dry beautifully, because they are textured they don't show any wrinkles. I have a dozen or so of them in various styles and colors and wear them three seasons in Florida.

 

Her ankle cotton stretch pant just has a hint of stretch, it looks like a chino fabric, Downy Wrinkle Release takes care of wrinkles in a jiff. They've been my defacto "uniform" unless I need to be in a suit for a meeting for years now. Very comfortable, and I'm just getting ready to toss a pair I bought over eight years ago.

[iheartbda]

LOVE the Misook dress as it just looks more polished and would dress up nicer if needed. Can't speak from personal experience since neither is what I usually need for travel but do have one question......probably stupid and unecessary.:o Do both have any reinforcement across the top of the sleeve seam on the inside? That does make a huge difference in how the sleeve will maintain the shape across the top.....it will forever hold the top of the sleeve where it should be rather than stretching out.

 

Also, all better dresses should have the inside sleeve ribbons or invisible straps to put on the hanger to also keep the sleeves from stretching out. And FINALLY, one more thing I like to have the tiny ribbon with the snaps that keep bras straps in place so they don't srick out......even though for some of the yougins', it's some fashion statement that escapes me.:D

 

There is a wonderful little tool for handleing any snags in knit fabric that has save the day many time fors me. You need to look for it in the notions departmentof a fabric store. Very tiny and easy to use, pulls most snags to the back never to be seen.:)

http://www.createforless.com/Dritz+Snag+Repair+Snag+Nab-It/pid14039.aspx?utm_source=cj&utm_medium=cse&zmam=1612697&zmas=1&zmac=25&zmap=74731020&URL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.createforless.com%2FDritz%2BSnag%2BRepair%2BSnag%2BNab-It%2Fpid14039.aspx%3Futm_source%3Dcj%26utm_medium%3Dcse%26zmam%3D1612697%26zmas%3D1%26zmac%3D25%26zmap%3D74731020

[klauer]

I don't think that I've ever seen Eileen Fisher clothing that I'd describe as "sexy"! Definitely nice quality, though.

 

The first thing I do before hanging up clothes is cut off those ribbon hanger loops.

[Hoyaheel]

I don't think that I've ever seen Eileen Fisher clothing that I'd describe as "sexy"!

Normally I would agree - much that I see in stores is rather shapeless. But the dresses on the website that are described as silk jersey (as recommended by a previous poster) are not work appropriate. They're dressy - and yes, sexy:p

 

http://www.eileenfisher.com/EileenFisher/Shop_By_Item/ShopByCategory/Dresses/PRD_S1GK-D2291M/Scoop+Neck+Dress+with+Ruffles+in+Stretch+Silk+Jersey.jsp?bmLocale=en_US

 

http://www.eileenfisher.com/EileenFisher/Shop_By_Item/ShopByCategory/Dresses/PRD_S1GK-D1262M/Drape+Neck+Dress+in+Stretch+Silk+Jersey+with+Overlay+in+Sheer+Silk+Jersey.jsp?bmLocale=en_US

 

Many of the linen dresses were shapeless (not flattering on me) and I won't do linen for travel anyway.

[klauer]

I think that those dresses would look a lot sexier on women with curves. I guess that the company is trying to attract younger buyers, but to me those models look way too thin for the clothes they're wearing.

[Hoyaheel]

I think that those dresses would look a lot sexier on women with curves.

Well, curves I've got, so I have to be careful what I buy:D What looks perfect on someone with B cups can look pornographic on me:rolleyes:

[Hoyaheel]

Neiman Marcus had a nice sale on a black Misook tank dress a few weeks ago - cheaper than the sale price I had posted in the original post here last year - so I bought it - and love it! It has a nice neckline - low enough to be elongating, high enough not to show my cleavage at work!

 

Now that everyone has their summer clothing on sale, I'll start looking for more fun dresses - Talbots has some cute ones (regular and outlet store) and even Lands End has a big selection of dresses this year:D